Double Strike
by dancelvr234
Summary: Years after the end of the war,Fire Lady Katara finds a way to activate an ancient bending technique. However, her attempt fails. Later, Azula leads the rebellion against the new world peace and Katara must find out how to resurrect the technique to win.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hey guys! So this is my first A:TLA fan fic and I'm really excited about it. It's a post war probably AU Zutara that will be a mixture of angst, comedy, drama, and romance. I hope you all enjoy and remember, reviews are a girls best friend! I mean, author's best friend :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA, that belongs to Nickelodeon and Mike and Bryan. If I owned it, Zutara would have totally happened. Just saying. **

A red messenger hawk flew its way over the volcanic walls of the capital city of the fire nation, determinately aiming for its final destination: the royal palace. It soared over buildings and streets, nobles and peasants until it finally found a place to perch. The messenger servant to the Fire Lord and Lady watched as the bird landed and grabbed the scroll from its back sending the hawk back in the air for its return journey.

The servant glanced at the seal and the name of the recipient knowing who the letter was for. He walked through the large corridors of the palace, decorated in reds and golds with the fire nation emblem hanging on every wall. He eventually came to the two large red doors of the Fire Lord's office. Two guards were dutifully standing outside looking as strong as ever.

"Is the Fire Lord free?" the servant asked one of the guards, not wanting to barge in on something important.

"No, he's in the middle of a heated tournament," one of the guards replied.

"Tournament?"

"Yes, pai cho. Apparently General Iroh challenged the Fire Lord and now it's become quite a game. I wouldn't interrupt it if I were you," the guard warned.

"Alright, I guess I'll go find the Fire Lady and give this to her. Do you know where she is right now?"

"I believe she's reading in the study. Look for her there."

"Ok, thank you very much for your help," the servant bowed politely to the two guards and scurried off to find the Fire Lady. Upon arriving at the study he knocked on the door and entered after hearing a quiet "come in".

"Fire Lady Katara?" the servant tentatively asked as he slowly opened the door revealing the blue eyed, dark skinned queen of the fire nation sitting at a table with an old scroll in her hands.

"Yes?" she asked with a sweet smile, beckoning the servant inside the grand palace study. The study contained shelves upon shelves of scrolls documenting everything from the history of the fire nation to the genealogy of the Fire Lords past.

"A messenger hawk just arrived with this for you and the Fire Lord. He's busy so I figured I'd give this to you," he said as he handed over the scroll.

Katara took the scroll and broke the seal, slowly unraveling the piece of parchment. Her face lit up into a warm smile as she began to read through the contents of the letter.

"What is it?" the servant asked noticing her expression and not afraid to be open with the kind queen.

"Oh it's just that two of my dearest friends are getting married. This is the invitation to their wedding. I'm going to go tell my husband."

"But the Fire Lord's busy, my lady."

Katara rolled her eyes at this. "Oh yes, his intense game of pai cho with Iroh. I'll just have to apologize later for interrupting such a momentous occasion," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm that the servant easily caught.

"Thank you for delivering this to me," Katara said to the servant who simply bowed to the Fire Lady and said, "Just doing my job, your highness."

Katara walked through the palace on her way to the Fire Lord's office, her traditional long red gown swishing as she went. Upon seeing their queen approaching the two guards opened each side of the double doors letting her enter without question.

"Zuko, you have to see this," she said after the doors closed behind her. Fire Lord Zuko was bent over the circular pai cho board contemplating his next move. His uncle Iroh was sitting across from him with a smug look upon his face. Katara figured that the game was in Iroh's favor at the moment, which didn't surprise her at all. Iroh was known for his pai cho skills. That and his famous tea, which also not to her surprise was sitting at his side.

"Not now, Katara. I'm in the middle of something," Zuko said, waving off his wife.

Katara cocked an eyebrow at this and placed a hand on her hip. "Oh really? You know, from where I'm standing it looks like your 'important game' is almost over and not in a good way."

Iroh chuckled at this. "Smart girl," he said.

"Shut up, Uncle," Zuko scowled.

"Besides, I think you can spare a few minutes to look at this," she said as she handed over the scroll. Zuko sighed and took the letter from her, reading it aloud. "'Lady Toph Bei Fong and Avatar Aang invite the Fire Lord and Lady to join them in celebrating their wedding celebration.' Well what do you know? I never thought Toph would be the kind of person to settle down."

"Me neither. But I guess she somehow managed to say yes when Aang proposed. The ceremony is in Ba Sing Se and it's only in a few weeks so we'll need to prepare an airship to take us there. I was thinking we'd stay for two weeks since it's been so long since we have seen everybody and I want some down time. I'm sure the Earth king would let us stay with him but I'll send a messenger hawk to ask just in case. Plus, you'll need to cancel all your war meetings and other appointments or find a way to deal with them all the way in Ba Sing Se. That should give you about a week or so to get everything handled."

"Wow. How long have you known about this?" Zuko asked curiously.

"A few minutes. Why?"

"You managed to think all that out in a few minutes?"

"Well it's a long walk from the study to your office and it gave me the perfect opportunity to plan."

Zuko smiled and shook his head disbelievingly at his wife.

"That's strange," Iroh said suddenly, in a thoughtful voice.

"What?" Zuko asked.

"Well it's just that I got my invitation to the wedding a few days ago. It makes you wonder who's more important to Toph and the Avatar, doesn't it?"

Zuko rolled his eyes at this. "Uncle, just because you got your invitation before we did doesn't mean you're more important to Toph and Aang then we are."

"I don't know. A few days is a long time."

Katara giggled at her in-law and came over to give him a peck on the cheek. "Oh Iroh, what would we do without you?"

"Well you wouldn't have quite an excellent taste in tea. Here try this," he said grabbing the cup of tea that Katara had seen earlier and handing it to her. She took a sip and smiled. "Mmm. This is really good!"

"It's a new recipe I'm working on. It's not quite finished but it won't be long before I'm selling it at my tea shop."

"Well I personally think it's delicious," Katara said as she handed back the cup.

"I always did like you," Iroh said. Katara smiled down at him.

"Are we taking Kuzon with us to Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked suddenly.

"I'm more comfortable with him coming with us, yes. Two weeks is a long time for us to be away from the palace and I don't know if I feel up to leaving him alone that long."

"Alright. But you know he wouldn't be alone. There would be all the servants attending to him and not to mention the entire royal guard would be watching over the palace. It's not like we're going to take them with us."

"I know, but I'd still miss him terribly. He doesn't necessarily have to come to the wedding, just to Ba Sing Se. Speaking of Kuzon, I was just about to go check on him and I know that you two need to get back to your game, although there's not much to get back to for you, Zuko."

"I'm not doing that bad," Zuko said indignantly. Katara just chuckled and bent down to place a kiss on his scarred cheek before slipping out the door and down the hallway to another large set of double doors with guards standing out front. These guards, like the other ones, automatically opened the doors to let Katara through before quietly closing them behind her.

Katara walked into the dimly lit room to see one of her favorite servants, Lanfen, cradling a small bundle in her arms and rocking it back and forth. Lanfen looked up at the Fire Lady and stood up to pass over the bundle. Katara smiled down at her child, Kuzon, sleeping in her arms. The baby boy had dark black hair and fair skin much like his father's, but his eyes were Katara's. The big and blue orbs mesmerized her every time she looked into them. Zuko always used to say that Katara's eyes were captivating but the first time she looked into Kuzon's eyes, she finally understood what he meant.

"I just got him to go to sleep. He's been in a rather cranky mood all day and wasn't able to have his usual nap. I think he sensed that you were coming and wanted to behave for his mother," Lanfen said with a smile as she came over to Katara's side and watched the small child sleep peacefully.

Katara laughed quietly at this and placed a kiss on Kuzon's forehead. "I'm sure that's it," she whispered before carefully setting him down in his elegant crib fit for the royalty that he was.

Katara then proceeded to take Lanfen into the room adjacent to Kuzon's sleeping chambers so he could sleep soundlessly. "I was just discussing with my husband the plans for a trip to Ba Sing Se. You remember Lady Toph and the Avatar, right?" Lanfen shook her head yes. "They're getting married in a few weeks and we are traveling to attend the wedding and to spend some time with our old friends."

"That's wonderful!" Lanfen quietly exclaimed. She had met the Avatar and his blind girlfriend many times and thought they were a perfect match.

"Yes, it is. I was thinking that I would take Kuzon with us since we will be gone for two weeks. And since you're Kuzon's personal servant, it is only fitting that you should come with us as well."

Lanfen smiled and bowed in the traditional fire nation way. "I would be honored to travel with you and the Fire Lord."

"You know you don't have to bow to me, Lanfen. I'd like to think of the two of us as friends," Katara said with a smile as she invited Lanfen to sit with her on the cushions placed in the elegant palace room.

"I'm pleased that you think of me that way. Normally Fire Ladies don't think twice about their servants," Lanfen said as she sat with Katara, who called for a different servant to bring them some tea, preferably Iroh's.

"But you're not my servant. You're the Crown Prince's. And the most trusted and loyal one, at that."

Lanfen smiled at the kind Fire Lady. She had been working in the palace since she was a little girl and Ozai was on the throne. Back then she was assigned to Princess Azula and was always treated harshly. Now, she was serving the infant prince and the kind Fire Lord and Lady and was happier than ever. That was mostly because of the respect she had for Fire Lady Katara.

Lanfen bowed her head in thanks of Katara's comment and accepted the tea that was brought to them both.

"Speaking of being friends, I was wondering how everything was going between you and the palace guard that seems to admire you so," Katara said as she sipped her tea. Yes, this was definitely Iroh's.

Lanfen blushed furiously at this comment. She hadn't thought their relationship was that obvious.

"What's his name again?" Katara asked.

"Cheng," Lanfen said with a shy smile.

"I see the way he looks at you. He would make a fine husband, you know. You are of marrying age, right?"

"Yes, I'm 18. I have thought of marrying him. It would make my mother proud for me to marry such a brave and strong young man. But of course, he has to initiate it and I'm not sure if he ever will. I'll wait as patiently as I can though."

"Well you certainly have my blessing. And who knows, I might have a few words with Cheng and see what his thoughts are toward the subject," Katara said with a sly smile.

"If you did that, I would be forever grateful."

"That's what friends are for, right?" Katara said with a smile. Lanfen graciously smiled at her lady that she admired so much.

Suddenly, their conversation came to an end with a high-pitched cry echoed through the room.

"Well, I guess someone wasn't in the mood to sleep," Lanfen said as she stood up to go check on Kuzon.

Katara reached out and stopped her. "Let me. He's probably just hungry. You stay here and I'll go feed him before I retire to my bedchamber for the night."

Lanfen bowed as Katara left to go feed Kuzon and sat down on the comfortable cushion, enjoying her break. She would've never been allowed a break when she worked for Azula. Katara truly was a kind and gentle woman while still being the queen of one of the most powerful nations. It still astounded Lanfen that Katara could manage to do both.

After Kuzon was thoroughly fed and put back to sleep, Katara left for her bedchamber very tired. It had been a long day filled with her usual Fire Lady duties, bending practice, and the role of being a wife and mother. The large bed in her and Zuko's room, with its silk sheets and feather light mattress, was looking very inviting at the moment.

She changed into her nightgown and sat down at the large wooden vanity and began combing through her long wavy brown tresses. As she did so, her husband stormed through the door of their bedchamber looking very upset.

"So how did the game go?" Katara asked teasingly. Zuko just turned and glared at his wife.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said with a huff as he began to undress for the night.

Katara giggled and walked over to her husband, the Fire Lord. He had stripped down to some red sleeping pants and a red robe trimmed with gold that he left open to reveal his toned chest. He had also taken his hair down from its usual confinement. Katara wrapped her arms around her handsome husband's waist and gave him a sultry smile.

"It's okay, Zuko. So pai cho isn't your game. Big deal. Besides, pai cho is for the old men who have nothing else to do during their day. You, however, are the king of a game that none of them can even do these days. And you've won time and time again," Katara said with her sexy voice that always drives Zuko crazy. He knew exactly what she was implying. It was exactly the ego boost he needed.

She reached up and kissed him with a passion that had been there since they had first confessed their love for one another.

"How do you always know exactly how to pick me up when I'm down?" Zuko asked.

Katara smiled at him and said, "That's my job as your wife, isn't it?" She kissed him again before walking over to her side of the bed and enveloping herself in the red silk. It felt amazing.

"Oh, I will never get used to how comfortable this bed is," she said with a content and relaxed smile.

Zuko smiled at his wife. It had been a few years since they had wed and she still was in awe of the luxury that came with being royalty.

He got in beside her and protectively wrapped his arms around her middle. He gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead before whispering, "I love you Katara. I'll always love you."

"I love you too Zuko. And I can't wait for our trip to Ba Sing Se. It'll be just what we need to relax and get away for a little while," she said as her eyes began to droop.

**A/N So whatcha think? Worth continuing? Review Review REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. That is the property of Bryke, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. Pretty easy to understand considering I'm not talented enough to come up with that geniusness. **

"Did you pack enough blankets for him? I don't want him to catch a cold in Ba Sing Se. Are you sure you brought all his favorite toys? If he's without one he'll be very cranky…" Zuko stood to the side and watched as his beautiful, but stressed, wife was overseeing the servants who were packing Kuzon for the trip to the Earth Kingdom capital. If he wasn't afraid of the prospect of being yelled at he would've laughed out loud at her frenzied state. He felt sorry for the servants who were the current subject of her unwelcome scrutiny.

"Katara, dear, they're doing a fine job. Kuzon has everything he needs and more for this trip. Besides, if we forget something I'm sure we can replace it in Ba Sing Se," Zuko stepped in much to the relief of the servants.

"I know, I know. But you have to understand that I'm Kuzon's mother and I have to be picky about things like this. It's my motherly duty to worry about him."

Zuko came over and tenderly placed his hands on her neck, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I know all that darling, and I understand how you feel, I am Kuzon's father after all, but this is supposed to be our vacation. Enjoy it." He moved one of his hands to her cheek and placed a quick peck on her lips. That seemed to have calmed her down a bit. A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Well I'm not on vacation yet, you know. I have the right to be nitpicky up until I step foot onto that airship," she said.

"Yeah right. You won't be able to calm down until Kuzon's fast asleep in his room in the Earth King's palace."

"Yeah, you've got a point there," Katara said before turning and interrogating a servant on the amount of baby food that was being brought with them. "I'm sure the Earth King doesn't have buckets of baby food lying around his home. We're going to need more than that."

The servant in question gritted his teeth and answered to the Fire Lady with a very forced "yes, your highness".

Suddenly Lanfen appeared in the room and rushed to the Fire Lady's side. "Don't worry, Katara," Lanfen said comfortingly, "I'll go through everything once their done to make sure we have all of his things. I know exactly what Kuzon needs and how much of it to bring. Everything will be just fine."

Katara visibly relaxed at these words. "Thank you, Lanfen. I don't know what I would do without you. I think I'm going to go take a nap. All this activity has made me tired," the Fire Lady said before retreating to her and Zuko's room.

Zuko turned to Katara's most trusted servant with a look of admiration. "How did you manage to calm her down so quickly?" he asked.

"Much practice, my lord. Before I was assigned to look after Kuzon, I worked for your sister."

"Oh, I see. My apologies."

"Don't worry. I'm in a much better position now. Your son is a delight to care for and your wife is a remarkably kind woman."

One of the servants busy packing couldn't contain the scoff that escaped his lips. He quickly realized his mistake and looked apologetically at the Fire Lord before quickly fleeing.

"That is of course when she's not under a lot of stress," Lanfen added after observing the servant leave.

"Katara's always been that way. She has to make sure that everything is just right before moving on. Taking care of everyone around her is just part of her nature. It's sweet sometimes and annoying at other times, as you can probably gather."

Lanfen giggled at the Fire Lord's comment. "Yes, I can. Of course, her pickiness is what makes her such a good mother."

Zuko smiled at this, remembering the way Katara used to mother everyone in the group when they were preparing for Sozin's comet. Those days seemed so long ago. It had been years since his father was defeated and the group had been together for a long period of time. Of course they saw each other on special occasions like Katara and Zuko's and Sokka and Suki's weddings, the birth of Kuzon, and other celebrations, but they never had been together like they had before for a long time. It would be nice to see everyone again.

"-to get away for awhile."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Zuko asked Lanfen, realizing he must've spaced out for a few moments.

"I said it should be nice for Katara to get away for awhile."

"Oh, yeah. It will be. I'm very much looking forward to it."

"Me too."

"You're coming?" Zuko asked, curious.

"Yes. The Fire Lady has invited me to accompany her for the sake of watching Kuzon while you two are busy."

"Oh, that's nice."

"Yes, I've never been to Ba Sing Se before. Is it as magnificent as everyone says it is?"

"Very much so. I even lived there for awhile back when I was hiding in the Earth Kingdom. It's a beautiful city."

"Oh yes, I've heard the story of you and your uncle working in a tea shop in the lower ring of the city," Lanfen said with a giggle. Obviously the idea of the great Fire Lord Zuko in an apron serving tea was a hilarious image. "Oh that reminds me. Is your uncle coming too, Fire Lord?"

"Yes. He was here for business but now he needs to get back to his tea shop. Maybe you can go there when you're not watching Kuzon."

"I'd like that," Lanfen said with a smile. She truly respected both the Fire Lord and the Fire Lady for their kindness to her.

Suddenly Kuzon's cry could be heard from his chambers. "I guess that's my cue," Lanfen said as she respectfully bowed to the Fire Lord. "Thanks for talking with me, Fire Lord Zuko. It's truly an honor to serve you and your son," she said before rushing to tend to Kuzon.

The next day was hectic at the Fire Nation palace. Servants were running left and right trying to get last minute things packed for the trip. Katara was, to no one's surprise, frantically looking over everything to make sure all was ready for their departure. The airship was docked and was currently being loaded with luggage and other supplies. It would take a few days just to get to the great Earth Kingdom city by airship and they had to make sure there was enough food and water for the royalty and the crew.

Zuko was waiting the day out with as much patience as he could muster. He was hoping to stay out of the way so Katara wouldn't yell at him or set him to work. It wasn't a smart idea to be around her when she was like this. So he hid for most of the day, away from all of the excitement.

"ZUKO! WHERE ARE YOU?" yelled Katara as she tried to find her husband. It was time for them to leave and he was nowhere to be found. This just ticked her off and made her more stressed than she already was.

"ZUKO!" she yelled again, this time loud enough to where he heard it from his hiding spot in his study. How her voice managed to carry throughout the giant palace was beyond him, but he gathered his things and followed the sound of his irritated wife.

"Ugh, there you are! Where have you been? We have to take off right now if we want to make it to Ba Sing Se on time," she said as she grabbed his arm and dragged him outside to the loading dock. Lanfen was already outside waiting for them with Kuzon in her arms and Iroh standing to the side looking quite amused.

As they began to board, Iroh chuckled at his nephew. "Having marital problems, I see." Zuko just scowled, rolled his eyes, and walked ahead: his usual routine when his uncle teased him.

"Shut up, Uncle."

The trip was long and boring but finally the royal airship reached the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, the great capital of the Earth Kingdom. They flew over the outer wall and then past the inner wall to the place where they were supposed to land, and where the rest of the group was supposed to meet them. Even the Earth King said he would come to welcome the two royals to his city.

Katara could hardly contain her excitement as she felt the airship touch down. She could make out the forms of her friends waiting patiently for them through a window and had to resist the urge to run out and greet them.

"Someone's excited," Zuko commented as he watched his wife quickly gather her things and rush to the exit door.

"Of course I'm excited. This is our family we're talking about. It's been so long."

"I know that. And I'm excited too but I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself."

Finally, to Katara's relief, a servant began opening the large exit door for the royal passengers.

"Now remember, Katara. The Earth King will be out there so you still have to act like a dignified Fire Lady," Zuko said as he looped his arm through hers.

"I know, I know. No running, jumping, or squealing. I got it."

However as the door fully opened and the Fire Lord and Lady stepped down from the airship, Katara disentangled her arm from Zuko and ran ahead to hug her brother, squealing and jumping along the way. "Sokka!" she screamed as the Watertribe man enveloped his baby sister in a bear hug.

Zuko shook his head at this display. He should've seen that one coming.

"Hey Sparky!" Toph shouted before rushing over to hug Zuko. He couldn't believe this was the same Toph he had traveled with years before. She had grown into a beautiful young woman. She was much taller, more developed, and her hair was long and flowing. She had really grown up since he had last seen her.

"Hey, Miss I'm-getting-married-to-the-Avatar. How does it feel to be a betrothed woman?"

"Honestly, pretty weird. I never thought this day would come."

"Ha, neither did I."

Toph quickly punched Zuko in the arm. Okay, so maybe she hadn't _completely_ grown up since he had last seen her. "Wow, Sparky, your arm feels like jelly. Has Sweetness been giving you a hard time?"

"No, it's just that with all the responsibilities of being the Fire Lord, I haven't had much time for exercise."

"Ha, well now I could really whoop your butt in a battle. Before I probably would've just won, but now I could dominate you."

"What makes you so sure that you would've always won?" Zuko asked, his ego clearly hurt.

"Oh please. I'm the greatest earthbender in the world. You're no match with your small little fire blasts," Toph said with a smirk.

"Small? Who are you calling small? I'll have you know that my fire is some of the best fire that any firebender could make. I'm almost as good as Azula was."

"And yet, you're arms are still flabby," Toph said, causing Zuko to glare at the sarcastic earthbender.

Meanwhile, Katara hugged the former Kyoshi warrior turned wife and mother. "Suki, you're absolutely glowing," she said as Suki rubbed a hand over her large belly.

"Really? I figured the pregnant woman glow wore off by the third child."

"Nope, still as pretty as ever," Katara said.

"That's sweet. I hope I look pretty because I feel like a whale."

"So what do you guys want? A boy or a girl?" Katara asked as Sokka placed an arm over his large wife.

"Girl," they said at the same time.

"Why? Had enough boys to handle?"

"Yes, I mean I adore my boys and everything, but come on. We're talking about two toddler boys. I don't think I could handle another one," Suki said exasperatedly.

"Well, speaking of the little monsters, where are my nephews?"

"They're back at the palace taking a nap. You can see them once they wake up. Now, I want to see my nephew. Where is he?" Sokka said looking around for little Kuzon.

"He's over there with one of my servants," Katara said pointing to where Lanfen stood talking with Iroh.

"Oh yes, how could I forgot my sister, the Fire Lady, and her hundreds of servants that attend to her every wish," Sokka said sarcastically.

Katara rolled her eyes at her big brother. "I don't have a hundred servants."

"Whatever you say," he said as he and Suki walked away to go see their nephew.

"Hey, Sugar Queen! Aren't you going to give me a hug?" Toph yelled from where she was standing with Zuko. Katara smiled at her friend and ran over to hug her.

"Of course, Toph. I would never forget you. By the way, you look so pretty. I love your hair down like that. It looks really good."

"It does?" Toph asked as she played with a strand her long black mane. "I kind of went out on a limb with the new hairstyle. I guess I did pretty well."

"Yes, you did." Katara and Toph chatted for a few minutes before Aang spoke up from behind them.

"Hey Katara," he said shyly. Katara whirled around to see her best friend in his Avatar clothes looking as handsome as ever. Over the years Aang had developed into a tall, strong young man. He definitely wasn't the goofy kid she had discovered in the iceberg.

She ran over and hugged him, noticing that he was now quite a bit taller than her. It was weird, to say the least.

After the war, Aang and Katara had pursued a romantic relationship. It actually lasted quite a while and Katara was always happy when she was with him. But as the months went on, she realized that she loved Aang dearly and cared about his well being but there wasn't much romance between them. Apparently he felt the same way and they came to a mutual agreement to end the relationship. Not long after, Katara started dating Zuko (who broke up with Mai a while back for reasons Katara still didn't fully know) and Aang began to grow closer to Toph. There wasn't much awkwardness between them but it still had been awhile and they didn't talk much.

"Look at you. You're really all grown up. And about to become a married man," Katara said as she pulled back from the hug.

"I know, can you believe it? I thought she'd never say yes. It took me weeks to get up the courage to ask her."

"Well I bet you're glad you did, huh?"

"You bet I am," Aang said as Toph walked over to the Avatar and he placed his arm around her waist.

"What can I say? I fell in love with the big goof," Toph said as she lightly punched Aang's shoulder.

"Ow. I don't think I'll ever get used to that, Toph. I'll spend the rest of our married life with a perpetual bruise on my arm."

Toph laughed at this. "You know you love me."

"Yes I do. So much," Aang said with the smile of a man in love. He bent down and placed a sweet kiss on his fiancé's cheek.

"Aw, you guys are such a cute couple!" Katara squealed as she observed her two in love friends.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt but I would just like to welcome the Fire Lady to my city," the Earth King said from behind the friends.

Katara turned around and curtsied for the King before taking his hand and shaking it. "Thank you so much for having us, your highness. It's an honor to stay at your palace," Katara said formally, trying her best to show the Earth King that she was a dignified queen.

"I'll say. The rooms there are twice the size of the guest rooms at the Fire Nation palace," Toph added.

"Well it's an honor to be able to host such important guests. To have the Fire Lord and Lady, the Avatar, and a member of the Bei Fong family all under one roof is a wonderful occasion. The wedding will be beautiful. I was just telling the Fire Lord our plans for having the ceremony take place in the palace gardens and the reception in the grand dining hall."

"That's sounds lovely. It'll be an incredible day," Katara said, causing Aang and Toph to smile.

"Yes, it will. Now, let us go to the palace and I will personally show you, your husband, and your son where you will be staying. I also have a room for your servant and your uncle," the Earth King said as he pointed out two elegant carriages that would take the group back to the royal palace.

"That's very kind of you," Katara said as she politely bowed to the Earth King before getting into one of the carriages.

Zuko got in along with Lanfen, Iroh, Sokka, and Suki. The Earth King wanted to ride with Aang and Toph to discuss some of the wedding details.

"Nice save back there with all the bowing and fancy talk. I'm sure the Earth King was pretty surprised to see the queen of the Fire Nation squealing her head off," Sokka said to Katara with a smirk once the carriage began to move.

"He's right. I told you to act a little more dignified," Zuko said.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. It's just been so long since the gang has been together. And Aang and Toph are getting married in a few days. It's a very squeal-worthy event."

"Let's hope you keep the squeals to yourself throughout the trip," Zuko said.

"Don't worry. I think once the wedding comes around I'll be crying instead of squealing. I still can't believe those two are getting married!"

**A/N So this chapter had more Taang than it did Zutara but you have to pay tribute to them too. The next chapter will probably also have a lot of Taang even though this is overall a Zutara story! Review please! I want to know what you are thinking. **


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